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Strategic Living's News & Views
October 2010
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And, for those of you who've taken my classes, review me on Yelp.
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 Dear ,
No doubt now, it really is October. Leaves are beginning to turn brilliant reds, yellows and orange. Soon they will shrivel and curl, and drift off their tree limbs to the earth. The touch of October air will soon be chilly and crisp. Halloween is almost here: just one evening of ghosts and ghouls, spirits and specters. The next morning it's November, time for Thanksgiving. Halloween slithers back into the abyss . . . til the next year.
October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We all know that domestic violence isn't limited to October, nor should we be aware only these 31 days. Domestic violence is a wraith that walks the earth always. Abuse victims can be haunted for a long time, even after the relationship ends: they are more likely to suffer depression and anxiety than are other women, less able to form long-term loving relationships, and more likely to engage in harmful, high-risk behaviors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you know a college-age woman in an abusive relationship, please download this flyer and send it to her. Send it to her friends also, they probably feel like they're in a bad horror movie, powerless to intervene. In fact, send it to any college-age girl you know. It may save her from this nightmare later. Do your part to exorcise this demon now.
Sincerely, Joanne
PS - The King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence has compiled a calendar of this month's DV events. Go to http://www.kccadv.org/calendar/DVAMCalendar2010.pdf for what's happening in the Seattle area.
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And Now, A Word from My Mother
I have to admit, I don't always agree with my mother. OK, that's an understatement, we often butt heads. But, when she does make a good point, it is stellar. And one such stellar bit of advice came many, many years ago. I don't recall the context at all, she was discussing finances (which she rarely did). Her piece of advice is to all young women (and if you've taken one of my self-defense classes, you have heard me say this) is very simple:
Whatever life brings, whatever relationship, marriage, partnership, etc., you find yourself in, make sure you ALWAYS have a bank account in YOUR NAME ONLY. And make sure that it contains enough money for you to rent an apartment and cover living expenses for at least a few months.
Nobody plans on entering into an abusive relationship. However, life does not always go according to plan, and for that you have to plan.
If you are trying to leave an abusive partner, you'll need cash. One common characteristic of abusers is control of household finances. You will need your own bank account, in your name only, so that the abuser cannot withdraw all funds to leave you high and dry. And it is a LOT easier if you have your cache before committing to any relationship, since once you're in you don't know how easily you'll be able to accumulate necessary funds.
I've taught self-defense classes in homeless day shelters and in transitional housing facilities. I've met women who lost everything -- and became homeless -- because they had to leave their partner but had no funds. There are many, many more women who do not leave their abusers because they are even more afraid of living on the streets.
So take charge of your own destiny, and have some cash cached away. Because it sucks to find yourself without cold cash between an abuser and the cold streets.
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Girls Fight Back! Video Now Online -- In Its Entirety!
After her dearest friend was brutally murdered, Erin Weed resolved to learn everything she could about self-defense. She felt called on to make sure this would never happen to another woman. She would learn, and she would teach. Erin, and her associates at the organization she started in 2001, now travel around the country giving presentations to college girls on self-defense and their safety. Girls Fight Back! has touched the lives of over half a million women and girls across the United States, and even overseas.
Erin's presentation is now available online, all 100 minutes of it! Not only is it free, she doesn't even twist your arm for your email address! Please send this link (http://www.girlsfightback.com/programs/watch-online) to all college women (as well as high school girls) you know. Erin is an engaging speaker, a dedicated crusader for girls empowerment, and she's AWESOME! Watch this today.
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Fall 2010 Classes:
Basic Self-Defense for Women: Wednesday, Oct 13, 6:30 - 9:30 pm, through the ASUW Experimental College. Location will be on the UW campus, most likely South Campus Center. Registration to open later this September -- visit the Experimental College website to register online.
Self-Defense 101: A five week course that builds progressive skill and prepares you for life's unexpected (and unwanted) moments. To register for any of these classes, visit http://www.StrategicLiving.org/schedule101.htm for links to each organization.
Five
Saturday afternoons, Oct 9 - Nov 6, 1:30 - 3:30 pm, at
Bellevue College's North Campus (10700 Northup Way).
Five Tuesday evenings, Oct 12 - Nov 9, 6:45 - 8:45 pm, through the
UW Women's Center. Register online at the Women's Center website, or phone 206-685-1090.
Self-Defense Weekend Workshop:
This class is for women who
want more than a one-evening seminar yet do
not have the time to take a multi-week couse. You will practice
easy-to-learn and powerful physical skills: releases from grabs and
chokes, strikes to critical targets, basic ground fighting and using
your voice with impact. More importantly, you'll learn the signs that
tell you that you may need to use those skills. Most importantly,
you'll also learn to recognize the signs that will let you defuse,
de-escalate or evade before an assault ever happens. Next offered: Nov 12-14, visit the Experimental College website to register online.
Self-defense skills are like CPR, you should review and practice them annually.
Register for my Refresher Program at http://www.StrategicLiving.org/Refresh.htm. And if you believe that these skills are crucial for all women, please take advantage of my Referral Program at http://www.StrategicLiving.org/Refer.htm. Do you work with a non-profit or community organization that holds silent  auctions? Ask me to donate a gift certificate for a private 1.5 hour seminar. Do you work with a non-profit or community organizations whose staff/volunteers/members/clients would benefit from a safety skills seminar? Visit http://www.StrategicLiving.org/donated-class.htm for information on requesting partly subsidized training sessions. Melissa W., a Program Manager for Girl Scouting in the School Day, had this to say: "Joanne came to my Girl Scout troop and taught girls important physical skills, but more importantly, she told them to love themselves, be aware of their surroundings, and use their minds. It was a successful approach for any age, and I'm glad to know the girls are more able to keep themselves safe because of Joanne's class." |
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Contact Information
phone: 206.202.0748
jifactor@StrategicLiving.org
You can look me up on LinkedIn, or follow my tweets on Twitter.
Or become a Facebook Fan on Strategic Living's Page.
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